


Even Do-Gooders Can Feel Jealousy

by JustAndrea



Category: Wander Over Yonder (Cartoon)
Genre: Fluff, Hater is a good bf, Hurt/Comfort, Internal Conflict, Jealousy, M/M, Wander dealing with feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-05-06 10:01:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14639505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAndrea/pseuds/JustAndrea
Summary: Wander was more than happy to attend a Villain Gala with his husband. Unfortunately, he wasn’t expecting a new villainess to join them, or for her to steal so much of Hater’s attention, nor was he expecting to feel all these feelings that he honestly wasn’t used to feeling… What’s a nomad to do?





	Even Do-Gooders Can Feel Jealousy

**Author's Note:**

> So, this was actually a fic I posted on Tumblr quite a while ago (before the Dom arc/season 2 had even started, I believe). However, I'm still pretty proud of this fic so I figured, why not cross-post it? Anyway, at the time of writing this I had already written a request of Hater being jealous over someone Wander was with (because of course he would be) and I just thought ‘…Well, what if the roles were reversed? What if there was a time when Wander felt jealous?’ Just something I wanted to try. Enjoy ^v^

“Wowwwww! Would’ya just _look_ at it all!” Wander grinned as his eyes darted from place to place, taking in all the decor and various villains there. 

“Yeah, it’s pretty cool, I guess,” Hater shrugged. Having been to these things before, he didn’t really care about the decorations (though honestly, even if this had been his first time at a Villains-Only gala, he still wouldn’t have cared about the decorations). Wander on the other hand was completely amazed by it. All the fancy candles and dark colors everywhere, it was just so neat! 

Wander then giggled, taking his husband’s hand and squeezing it. “Thanks for lettin’ me be your ‘plus one’, honeybadger.”

Hater rolled his eyes. “Well who else would I take?” Despite his tone, Wander was still able to hear the true meaning behind his words.  _I wouldn’t want to take anyone else._

“…Welp, how’s about we get us some food, hm?” “Hmph, they better have those little mini hotdog things.” Unsurprisingly, the couple did get a few stares as they walked across the room towards the snack table, and it wasn’t just because of Wander, or because of the wedding rings on their hands.

No, some were simply surprised to see Hater there at all. After all, he was more of a neutral ruler than an actual conqueror these days, getting most of his planets by deals and agreements and only took a planet by force when it was necessary. He didn’t even torture or blow things up anymore - though, that was more for his family’s sake than his own preference. Had to be a good role model for his kids, after all.

But even so, Hater still called himself a villain when around other overlords, and he still wasn’t exactly a good guy, or even a super nice guy (at least, not to anyone who wasn’t family). So, he was still given an invitation to the Intergalactic Villains Gala, satisfying the skeletal overlord despite not really caring about galas, and giving him and his happy-go-lucky husband a night out.

“Wowww, can you believe all the fancy outfits everyone’s wearin?” Wander commented, continuing to look around as he and Hater loaded their plates with various snacks, “And there’s just so many people here! Maybe we’ll make a few friends tonight, huh Hater?”

“Mm, yeah, sure,” Hater replied, his mouth mostly full. He remembered Peepers saying something about trying to make allies with a couple of the newer villains, but he could do that later, when he wasn’t totally starving! He grabbed another sample of something, not completely sure what it was but deciding it looked delicious enough to try. “Mmm, Wandah! Yoo godda twy dis!”

Wander chuckled, taking one for himself. “Don’t mind if I do.” But just as he was about to take a bite, he noticed a pair of eyes watching them from across the room. “Hm?”

For a villainess, she looked pleasant enough. Her skin was a deep purple, and her gold and silver hair was put into a fancy bun. Her arms and hands were nearly covered with jeweled bracelets and rings, with a short, maroon dress giving her just the right amount of elegance, beauty and a bit of intimidation. Speaking of which, she looked fairly muscular as well, while still having curves in all the right places.

Of course, Wander didn’t really notice any of this, he simply saw a potential friend. “Hello!” he greeted, giving a small wave. The woman smirked slightly, and walked over. 

“Nice to meet ya,” Wander greeted, giving a small bow, “Folks call me Wander, and this is-”

“Lord Hater,” the woman finished for him, still smirking a bit, “One of the strongest overlords in this galaxy, with several systems worth of planets under his control. Not to mention all his wealth and power.”

“Yeah,” Hater quickly swallowed, giving a prideful smirk of his own, “Basically, the Greatest in the Galaxy.”

The woman giggled. “A great honor then.” She gave a small bow. “I am the Duchess of Thecestea, Louetta.”

“Louetta,” Hater repeated. Had he heard that name before? Maybe she was one of those newcomer villains Peepers had been talking about. 

“Yes, and I really am glad to meet your acquaintance, Lord Hater.” Louetta leaned down a bit, placing her hands on the table. “Perhaps we could, get to know each other better?”

Hater looked down... past the duchess and right back to the table, wanting to grab more bacon covered ham-nuggets. (Who would've thought villains would know such good caterers?) “Oh, yeah, sure. Same here.”

“Well, would you like to join us for a bit, Miss Louetta? I’m sure we would enjoy talking with you,” Wander added, though the duchess didn’t even bother looking over at him. Instead, she straightened up and walked over to the other side of the table, standing beside Hater. 

“Well then, what are we waiting for?” With that, she looped her arm around Hater’s - who was making sure to grab his plate - and started leading him towards a table, making Wander blink.

“…Huh.” He felt… something. Uneasy, maybe? But, what did he have to be uneasy about? The nomad quickly tried to shake these feelings away, putting a smile back on his face and following the two to their table.

()()()()()()()()

“-And so after he gave that  _little_  comment, I looked him straight in the eyes, and I threw him across the room.” 

Hater laughed. “Aw, I wish I could’ve seen the look on his stupid face!”

“Trust me, it was a sight worth seeing,” Louetta grinned, “And after that, well, I just had to destroy his planet. Though l did give them all fifteen minutes to evacuate. It’s always fun watching them run around, panicking like rats.”

Hater chuckled again, while Wander forced another smile. He couldn’t help but notice that he had been doing that a lot tonight. 

Louetta was…  _interesting_ , to say the least. Definitely a villain, no doubt about that. She had plenty to talk about, and most of these subjects only interested Hater, leaving Wander to simply sit silently on the side, as if he wasn’t even there. Not exactly what he had been expecting to do that night… And with all the stories she was telling - well, it was admittedly hard to see a good side to her. Even with how friendly she was being towards Hater, with all the compliments she was giving him and the glances and the smiles, it just rubbed Wander the wrong way - though again, he couldn’t figure out why. 

Or maybe he could, and just didn’t want to admit it.

Really though, Wander just wanted to try talking to someone else.  _Anyone else_. And he had nearly brought this up several times, but it seemed like every time he tried to, Hater would laugh or give some enthusiastic commentary, and the conversation would continue.

‘He’s enjoying her company,’ the nomad told himself, ‘I don’t wanna ruin his fun…’ Besides, she wasn’t _that_  bad. …Right?

“Heh, that was a good one,” Hater said, still smiling as he sighed, glancing down at his cup. “Think I’m gonna get more to drink.”

“Oh, I could use a refill too,” Louetta added, “I could get us some. …Or better yet, Wander?”

He blinked. “Oh, yes?”

“Could you get us a refill?” she asked, “It would certainly help us out, and you wouldn’t mind, right?” 

“…” Once again, Wander found himself forcing a smile. “No problem!”

“Thank you, Wander.” “Yeah, thanks.” Wander didn’t give a reply, he simply grabbed their cups and headed towards the punch bowl, sighing slightly under his breath. 

“What is wrong with me…?” he muttered. They were at a party together, and Hater was having fun! They were making new friends, socializing… Wander loved those things.

So… Why did they feel so wrong now?

Frown deepening, Wander poured the drinks as he continued to mentally scold himself.  _‘Stop bein’ a negative ninny… Find a way to enjoy yourself, for Hater’s sake. And besides, there’s nothing really wrong with Louetta. She’s just, different! Yes, that’s all! And there’s nothing wrong with bein’ dif-!’_

He turned around and froze, his thoughts screeching to a halt. From across the room, he could see Hater and the duchess, and while he couldn’t hear them it seemed like she was telling another one of her stories. Of course, Hater was enjoying it, so much so that he didn’t even notice that she was touching his hand. Or how close she was getting.

About a dozen red flags went off in Wander’s mind, and without even realizing it, he started to scowl at the two of them, while a flurry of nearly-unfamiliar emotions started to appear one by one. But, almost immediately after they had appeared, Wander pushed these feelings to the back of his mind and forced his scowl away. It had all only lasted a second or two, but even so, he couldn’t help but feel a bit ashamed at his actions. 

“…Heh, here ya go!” he announced once he made his way back to the table, “Two nice cool drinks, fresh from the bowl!”

The duchess took her hand off Hater’s, but didn’t try to move away from him, and the two took their drinks. As Wander sat back down, he couldn’t help but notice now how Louetta stared at his husband, clearly admiring him. Her eyes trailing up and down his body… Was she getting closer to him? No, that was just his imagination. …Or was it…?

“…-der… Wander!”

“Huh?” He blinked, looking over at Hater, who was giving him a slightly confused look. “You okay? You’re being all quiet and weird.”

“O-Oh, I am?” “Yeah. …Is everything-?” “Y-Yep! Right as rain! Never better!” Wander exclaimed, flashing a grin at his husband and chuckling a bit.

Hater didn’t look any less confused, but he accepted the answer for now, and Louetta did as well. “Hmm, I do believe they’re about to start playing music soon,” she commented, glancing over at the band that was setting up over in the corner of the room. 

“Ugh, seriously?” Hater scowled, “Gah, I just hope they don’t play that same boring music they did at the last gala. That stuff’s the worst! If I wanted to listen to that kind of music, I could’ve just stayed at home and listen to Peepers’ mp3 player.” Despite everything, Wander couldn’t help but smile a bit at his husband’s comments. Unfortunately, it didn’t stay for long. 

“Well, I’m sure it’ll at least be tolerable,” Louetta added, “And at least it’ll be something to dance to.”

“Dance?” “It would be an honor to share a dance with someone as great and powerful as you, Lord Hater? And I can promise you, I’m a very good dancer~” 

Wander’s face hardened a bit. He could feel those negative emotions start to force their way back into the forefront of his mind… As for Hater, he was still focusing on the ‘great and powerful’ comment. “Heh, well, I’m a pretty good dancer too. But I usually just dance with Wander at things like this, so-”

“Oh, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind,” Louetta insisted, turning her attention back towards the nomad, “Right, Wander? I promise I’ll return him~”

“…Don’t mind at all,” he replied quietly, unable to even force a smile anymore. Not that it was really noticed. As soon as Wander gave his answer, Louetta stood up, grabbed Hater’s hand (Wander felt his own hands grip his knees slightly) and took him out onto the dance floor. 

Still somewhat stone-faced, Wander watched them get into position. He saw Hater put his hands on Louetta’s shoulders, only to have the duchess move them to her hips. He saw how close they got, especially once the dance started. How she would stroke his arm slightly (not that Hater really noticed, too busy trying not to step on her feet), and how she would make him chuckle by whispering insults towards the other dancers into his ear. 

Wander knew he was scowling again, but part of him didn’t care. …And another part of him cared a lot.

 _It doesn’t mean anything. Just a friendly dance. …_ _Maybe a little too friendly._ _Does Hater really not notice? Oh don’t be like that, you know how he can be…_ _Maybe he likes it._

 _Don’t think that! You know he loves you!_ _He likes being with her too._ _Did he just move closer to her?_ _You’re being paranoid, now stop it!_ _This doesn’t mean anything._ _It could mean something._ _She better not ask for another dance. Now, d_ _on’t be rude._ _I’m not… But as soon as they’re done I’m gonna march over there and-_

 _Don’t ruin Hater’s night! He likes spending time with her._ _But does he like her too much…? She certainly likes him. No, h_ _e would never- But it sorta seems like- You know better than to- And she’s just- Just stop-!_

It took all of Wander’s self control not to just scream out in frustration. All of these thoughts, this doubt, this negativity! He couldn’t take it anymore! So, as peacefully as he could, he made his way out of the room and down the back hallway.

()()()()()()()()

Wander took a deep breath. In, and out… In, and out… He didn’t let himself say his mantra, not wanting to risk disturbing any of the party goers, but he could at least do his breathing exercises. And they helped a little… Just as long as he kept a certain duchess out of his mind. 

Just then, he heard the door leading to the back patio of the manor open. “…Huh, I thought he only did that in the mornings,” a voice mumbled.

Wander’s eyes opened. “Hater?” he asked, turning his head to look at him.

“Oh, uh, sorry,” Hater said, looking a bit sheepish now, “Didn’t mean to interrupt you. …But, why are you meditating?”

“Oh, uh, no reason,” Wander said quietly, “But, don’t worry, I’ll be back inside soon. So just… go ahead and go back inside. I’ll be there in a bit. Wouldn’t, wouldn’t want ya missin’ anything.”

His husband scowled, practically slamming the door behind him. “Hmph, actually as soon as you’re done, we’re leaving.”

Wander blinked. “But… Is, everything okay, Hater?”

“I guess… Not really…” He sat down next to Wander, a deep scowl still on his face, “Still can’t even believe it…”

“What happened?” 

That was all Hater needed to start his rant. “Okay, as soon as we were done dancing, me and that dumb duchess went back to the table, and saw that you weren’t there.”

Wander winced slightly. “Hater, I’m sor-”

Hater didn’t let him finish, too angry to stop himself. “So I wanted to go look for you, but she’s like ‘Oh, I’m sure he’s fine’. And then she wanted me to follow her to some hallway!”

Sensing where the story was going, Wander felt his fur bristle slightly, but kept silent. “So I did since she wouldn’t stop asking, and when we get there, she starts getting all close and touchy and stuff! Where did that even come from?! So I back away, and she tells me to stay close, and when I ask why, she says it’s so we can ‘enjoy each other’s company’! Hmph, yeah right! And then she tries to KISS me! Can you believe it?!”

Again, Wander kept silent, deciding to go with the old ‘If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all’ choice. Although, he certainly did have a few things that he  _could_  have said…

“So I tell her that I’m married - as if the ring and the fact that I came to this stupid gala with my husband wasn’t enough! - and she didn’t even care! And she just started saying stuff about how ‘everyone does it’ and that it wasn’t a big deal. Uh, it’s a big deal to me! I’m not going to cheat on my husband! Just what kind of overlord does she take me for?!

“But even after that she’s still wanting to kiss me, saying how since I’m so powerful and stuff, I can do whatever I want, and how she’d make sure no one found out about it. Like any of that matters! So I’m all like, ‘Fine, if I can do whatever I want, then that means I can do this!’ And I take my punch - Oh, I took my cup with me. Forgot to mention that - and just pour it on her! You know like how people do in the movies but with water?”

“Well, I’m sure she wasn’t very happy about that,” Wander managed to say, trying to hide his true feelings of relief (and a bit of amusement) at his husband’s actions, even if another part felt sort of bad for Louetta, since walking around in a sticky, wet dress was never any fun.

“Yeah well, like I care,” Hater replied, rolling his eyes, “She started yelling at me and calling me an idiot. Hmph, I’d say SHE’S the idiot for thinking I’d do that kind of thing, and she’s lucky I didn’t shock her for that, cause I totally would have if she kept trying or started insulting you or something. But anyway, she yelled at me a bit more before leaving and then I went to go find you.” He sighed, most of his anger gone now. “So, yeah, that’s what happened. Ugh, I still can’t believe it…”

“Well…” Wander fell silent, not really sure how to finish that sentence, his mind still full of mixed thoughts and emotions, most of which he felt guilty for even having.

“…Well, what?” Hater glanced over at him, and paused. For the first time that night, he could look past any forced expressions and saw just how his husband was honestly feeling. “…Wander? You, I mean… You didn’t think that I’d-…?”

Wander now had his face in his hands. “Ohhh, I’m sorry, Hater! Of course I knew that you would never- But with the way Louetta was acting and how close she was gettin’, I - I just couldn’t help it!” He started pulling on his fur, feeling embarrassed and guilty while still feeling angry and upset. “And I tried to ignore it cause I knew nothin’ was gonna happen, but the more I tried the more I felt it, and I hated even  _thinking_  things like that and feeling all jealous and angry and I didn’t wanna ruin your night either cause I knew you liked talkin’ about that stuff, but I also wished that she would just leave us alone and she just kept close and I wanted to yell at her but I couldn’t and I just, I wanted to- And I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I-”

“H-Hey, hey, Wander.” Hater took Wander’s wrists, gently pulling them away from his face, “Wan, it’s fine. Really.” There was a small pause. “…Was, was that the first time you’ve ever felt jealous?”

“…No,” he admitted, “But I haven’t felt it in a long time. And even then it was certainly never this strong. …I’m sorry.”

Hater pulled him closer. “Stop apologizing.”

“Sorry. Oh, er, I mean-” His husband didn’t say anything. He just simply hugged Wander tightly, knowing that would do more for him than any words ever could. Giving a shaky sigh, Wander hugged Hater -  _his_  Hater - back, and tried to calm himself down. 

“…You know, if anyone should be apologizing, it should be me,” Hater said after a while, “I guess I sort of ignored you most of the night…”

“It’s not your fault,” Wander told him, still holding him close, “Just cause you came with me don’t mean you’re not allowed to talk to anyone else. That’s what parties are for, after all. …But, I guess I do sorta wish we hadn’t dealt with her.” Again, he felt sorta guilty for saying this, though not so much so after he remembered what she tried to do with his husband.

“Hmph, yeah well, now that I think about it her stories weren’t that great anyway. And most of the other villains here are probably either boring or stupid. Besides… I think I’m ready to spend some time with the only person here who I actually care about.”

Despite everything, Wander couldn’t help but smile a little, and glanced up at the skeleton. “…And I think I could say the same.” Smiling back at him, Hater tilted his head down and gave him a quick, sweet kiss on the lips.

“So,” he asked casually, letting Wander know that he wouldn’t mind one way or the other, “Ready to go home now? Or do you wanna stay a while?”

“…Well, maybe we could stay a few more minutes,” Wander suggested, “Just long enough for a dance, and a few more of those mini desserts.”

“Heh, sounds good to me.” Still smiling at one another, they stood up and held each other’s hand as they walked back inside. 

Unsurprisingly, Louetta glared at them as soon as she saw them, but Hater didn’t care. As for Wander, he managed to hold back the urge to apologize for her now ruined hair and make-up, and the duchess and her actions became only a memory as he began a dance with his husband.

One thing he noticed though was, as they danced, Hater would not only glare at any women nearby (even the ones who were already married), but he would also hold his hand with his wedding ring on it out slightly, as if to say “Yeah, I’m taken, so don’t bother either of us!” Maybe it wasn’t what he would do, but the sorta-sweet gesture was still appreciated by Wander.

And maybe he couldn’t stop the far-away admirers or unpleasant feelings, as rare as they may be, but there was one thing he knew for certain: He was Hater’s, and Hater was his, and that was all he needed.

 **THE END**  


End file.
